need some eBay advice

[RonnieWrecked]

i won a used PSP on ebay [ http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270115107205 ] and it arrived today. i wasn't very pleased to say the least.

the seller listed it as "Mint", but it is far from it. Scratches, dent marks from being dropped, damaged LCD screen [ pressure marks ], and the "O" button doesn't work... plus there's just grim all over it [ and some of the buttons stick, ew ].

so i was wondering if you guys had some advice on what i should do to get a refund. [ paid with paypal btw ]

so the first step is to contact the seller [ which i'm doing right now ] asking for a full refund including shipping. if the seller doesn't respond, how many days should i wait before i report them to ebay. what else do you guys suggest i do?

thanks.

[Thongsy]

Did you use a CC through paypal, or was it from your bank account or just paypal credit? Since if you used a CC you could just do a chargeback. I would give him 3-5 days to respond back, and try to work it out with him to where you're both happy, if that doesn't work I would than go to ebay and paypal.

[magiic]

I know exactly what to do. File a item significantly not as described claim with paypal and you will get all your monies back. You will have to return the psp to him though.

[RonnieWrecked]

thanks for the quick responses.

i used a Debit Card through Paypal with partial Paypal credit [ just got my $15 refund from them a few days ago. ]

how hard is it to list an item properly... sad face

[davidmt]

I know exactly what to do. File a item significantly not as described claim with paypal and you will get all your monies back. You will have to return the psp to him though.

What he said. I just went through this for something I bought that turned out to be garbage and I was very happy to get my money back -- with all the bitching you hear about Paypal they do come through now and again.

On the auction page you provided, the item is covered under Paypal buyer protection (up to $2000). File a claim, and make sure you indicate the item is 'not as described' and provide the same details you listed here. The seller will have a chance to respond, and then Paypal will make a decision. Based on your description, they should favor your side. You will have to ship the item back (on your dime, unfortunately) and you must provide a tracking number (I went with UPS). Make sure you key it in accurately, you only get one shot. Once the item has reached the destination, you will get your money back.

Good luck!

[pcktlnt]

After you file the claim and when you win, remember to send it back with DELIVERY CONFIRMATION. Good luck

[RonnieWrecked]

well the guy asked for photos so he could review them before he made a decision and i took them earlier today.

http://img407.imageshack.us/my.php?image=psp1km4.jpg

http://img516.imageshack.us/my.php?image=psp2em5.jpg

http://img407.imageshack.us/my.php?image=psp3ya1.jpg

http://img504.imageshack.us/my.php?image=psp4yg1.jpg

http://img407.imageshack.us/my.php?image=psp5jo8.jpg

http://img516.imageshack.us/my.php?image=psp6ns6.jpg

the guy is also asking for a 20% restocking fee because it's "not defective". i replied:

The item is defective because the "O" [ Circle ] Button doesn't work and some buttons stick [ R button and Screen button ]. The LCD screen also has numerous dead/stuck pixels [ around 20+ ]. I bid on the item expecting it to be mint/like new, not banged up. I don't see why i would have to pay a stocking fee for an auction that was misleading.

[magiic]

you dont have to pay anything, you file a complaint with paypal and I GURANTEE you will win hands down no questions asked. The seller has no idea how borked he is. You've already won. Just file not as described and call it a day. The best part is you dont even have to send the psp back. If you want to screw with him mail him a box full of shredded magazines or newspaper or something with DC, paypal just wants to see that you mailed something to him. The system is flawed.

[chosen1s]

Wow.

A restocking fee. He hadn't quite crossed the line until that point. I do mostly selling on Ebay and get pretty frustrated with buyers who are complaining before they even get what they ordered. And buyers who start filing complaints, etc. without even contacting me when the inevitable one out of 1,000 disks looks good but for one reason or another won't work. However, in this case you have a legitimate complaint about the quality of this product. It is verifiable and obvious.

You did the right thing contacting the guy and giving him a chance to respond first. His restocking fee response was poor. You really have a fair amount of time to begin filing complaints with Paypal, etc, and in light of feedback unless he has already left you positive I would write him a very direct email to the tune of:

"I have been reasonable and contacted you with the issue. It is obvious that the condition of the item varies considerably from your description, and ADDITIONALLY the unit is defective. The reality is that you did not send me what I ordered, and I am not going to pay a restocking fee for this item. Please confirm that you are willing to refund 100% of my funds when the item is returned. I will contact Paypal in the morning and get the ball rolling on the process. I am sorry that things didn't work out, but I am not going to be responsible for your misrepresentation."

I was going to say give him one last chance to refund your money if you return the PSP, but I seriously doubt he will give you the refund before you return the PSP - and there's not a chance in the world I would return the PSP without FIRST getting Paypal involved to verify that once the item was received he would be FORCED to give you a refund (Imagine the scenario where he receives the PSP, never pays you, and when Paypal asks him what happened he says "I don't know, I sent it to the confirmed address - here is proof".

Then again, maybe he would go ahead and refund since he knows it's defective - not such a big risk. Sounds like he got a stack of these and he's just listing one after the other without checking condition. Haven't looked at his activity to see if that's the case but how can anybody expect to get away with that intentionally?

Best of luck - I can mirror what everyone is saying about Paypal - they will screw you every chance they get. But they will screw sellers long before they screw buyers so you're in a good position. Also, the debit card doesn't work like a credit card - which is why I have a credit card tied to my Paypal account and never pay for a high-priced item with Paypal funds. If I ever get in a situation like you're in, it will be GLORIOUSLY NICE to hold all the trump cards.

[RonnieWrecked]

If you want to screw with him mail him a box full of shredded magazines or newspaper or something with DC, paypal just wants to see that you mailed something to him. The system is flawed.

as funny as that sounds, i'm not a dick and i just want my money back ASAP so i can purchase a PSP from someone else. i want to play a few games before the Halo 3 beta starts and finals.

he's asking me to send it to him first so he can check that it's actually DOA before giving me a refund, but i don't want him to try to screw me again so i'm going to file with paypal first before sending him his "crap" back...

and yeah i believe he's been buying used gaming systems in bulk and reselling them without checking the condition.

thanks again for the feedback guys.

[Raynre]

If you send it back to him so that he can "check its condition", all he has to do is say that it was either in perfect condition or that you were the reason it was in such crappy shape. Do NOT send it back to him until you recieve the full refund.

[sarausagi]

Condition: Used, Mint, Tested for Power up and Playing Games

Mint: unused or appearing to be newly made and never used: a book in mint condition'

The only problem here is that the words "used" and "mint" are opposites. However, he is right, he tested for power up and playing games, and the console IS used. The mint might have been an oversight, it's not in the item title or subtitle, just in the fine print!

At the price you paid, $100, have you seen what Gamestop offers you for $149.99 used? You've never seen an ugly PSP til you see used Gamestop PSP...I've never found a used PSP in good condition. It looks like he's sold multiple PSP's, all under the same auction.. and quite honestly..Sony wouldn't honor 20 dead pixels for a warranty exchange. I ended up buying new because it's near impossible to get a used one looking new.

Your best option would be to leave neutral feedback [because like it or not, his shipping was EXCELLENT, you won on the 1st, he received payment on the 2nd, and you received on the 5th or 6th..for an ebay seller with volume and electronics especially, that's down right excellent shipping] and then to sell it yourself as "used, in working condition" and make your $100 back, either via ebay or craigslist.

I recently bought a new PSP a week or two ago and can't stress how easy it is to make the console look hideous and old [because of the plastic texture and the type of screen..some dust...some grease...and a little rolling around and it's easy to make a PSP look like that] but a little polishing and some TLC can make it look pristine in a second.

Also, search for the dead pixel checker and make sure you're counting dead pixels right, then substract 4 pixels, because those can be expected even in a brand new console.

But you know what the worse part is?

Your pictures are trying their hardest to make it look worse than it is, a few minutes in Paintshop Pro [because your pictures have extremely harsh lighting that could make a new PSP look bad] and it doesn't look as bad as the picture makes it seem. I'm not saying you don't deserve your money back, but you really are making a relatively large mole hill into a huge gigantic mountain.

Edit: expanding on the last point. For example on your first picture, there's a finger smudge on the top of the screen and dust on top of the console, those came from packaging and unpackaging and use. there's some light scratches, those I have a problem with, not good in anyway, but the flash is waaaay too strong and I can't tell if the bottom side is horrible in condition or if your flash is blurring out the serial number and making the metal look scratched. second picture, the worst thing is the dust beside the buttons, and hey, look, i can see your camera kind of! third picture..okay..here's where it gets crazy

did you roll the PSP in flour and sand, or is that how it came? if that is genuinely how you received it, then i'll erase my post and you should call the police on him [trust and safety] and file a dispute with ebay and paypal, as well as your bank [debit card]

[RonnieWrecked]

Edit: expanding on the last point. For example on your first picture, there's a finger smudge on the top of the screen and dust on top of the console, those came from packaging and unpackaging and use. there's some light scratches, those I have a problem with, not good in anyway, but the flash is waaaay too strong and I can't tell if the bottom side is horrible in condition or if your flash is blurring out the serial number and making the metal look scratched. second picture, the worst thing is the dust beside the buttons, and hey, look, i can see your camera kind of! third picture..okay..here's where it gets crazy

did you roll the PSP in flour and sand, or is that how it came? if that is genuinely how you received it, then i'll erase my post and you should call the police on him [trust and safety] and file a dispute with ebay and paypal, as well as your bank [debit card]

fyi, i was using my bro's Canon Rebel camera, which is about 700 and i dont' know how to use it very well [ focusing, lighting and what not ].

also note that IMO the PSP looks worse in person.

in the first picture, that "smudge" isn't a smudge, it's grim/dirt. you known when you use the same controller for a long time and brown lines form on the edges of where your hands were on the controller? it's like that stuff but worse. and to top it off, it's all over the PSP. it's like a 20 foot man with 1 foot wide hands was using it... and he was flithy. and the flash isn't blurrying out the serial, the serial # is faded [ as if you used sand paper on it ].

and yes that 3rd picture is real, that's the condition i got it in... sadly.

if you look at the last picture [ and make sure to expand it all the way ] there is easily about 100 dead pixels. i guess i didn't examine it very carefully cause 20+ is clearly an understatement. i counted just the bottom portion, and it came to about 50~60 [ everything under "saved data" ].

i filed a report with Paypal, and right before i did i emailed the guy saying i was going to and he told me that he'd take 20% off if it wasn't "defective". ugh... and it's his fault that i'm in this mess in the first place!

[davidmt]

i filed a report with Paypal, and right before i did i emailed the guy saying i was going to and he told me that he'd take 20% off if it wasn't "defective". ugh... and it's his fault that i'm in this mess in the first place!

Good move. I would be just as mad if I received a PSP that looked like that. eBay sellers throw around the words "mint" and "like new" way too much. That PSP isn't even close to even fair condition.

At this point, it is out of his hands. Once the PayPal process kicks in he won't have an option of taking 20%. You will get everything back that you paid him.

Gotta love it though, its HIS fault and he wants 20% back for the eBay and PayPal fees (I bet he wouldn't refund shipping either). If you are going to sell, I don't care if its eBay or anywhere else, you have to be willing to pay for your mistakes ... and that can mean losing money.

[RonnieWrecked]

Gotta love it though, its HIS fault and he wants 20% back for the eBay and PayPal fees (I bet he wouldn't refund shipping either). If you are going to sell, I don't care if its eBay or anywhere else, you have to be willing to pay for your mistakes ... and that can mean losing money.

exactly!

i shouldn't have to pay shipping either! i'm losing money cause this guy can't list items properly.

it's as if i ordered a burger and he was the cook. and before he hands the burger to me he drops it on the floor, someone spits on it, and a hooker drops a deuce on it. and as he hands it to me he says "eh, i can make you a new one, but it'll cost ya!"

[ICEPICC]

Just file a complaint with paypal already. This way paypal hold the money against his account. Otherwise there may not be any money for you to get a refund.

You'll have to pay for shipping it back. thats a paypal rule.

[screwkick]

Their crappy feedback rating should have been your first hint.

[RonnieWrecked]

Their crappy feedback rating should have been your first hint.

they only had 1 bad feedback before i decided to bid.

it's been 3-4 days and my case hasn't been reviewed yet, it's gonna be a while.

[magiic]

Paypal is slow as fucking molasses in january. I spent 6 months fighting with a buyer who managed to get a free brand new playstation 3 from me.